2/1/2016Military bases no longer accept driver’s licenses from 5 states

U.S. military installations are no longer accepting Washington state, Minnesota, Illinois, New Mexico and Missouri driver’s licenses or state ID cards alone as proof of identity to obtain a base visitor’s pass.

These forms of ID are no longer accepted because they don’t comply with the 2005 REAL ID Act. Compliant licenses must have specific security features that prevent tampering, counterfeiting or duplication. Licenses also must present data in a common, machine-readable format.

Accepted forms of ID for getting a base visitor’s pass include a U.S. passport, any official ID card from any of the compliant states, Native American tribal documents, and any Defense Department or Federal ID card. VA identification cards, however, are not accepted.

According to the Department of Defense, “DoD policy allows commanders to waive the DoD access control requirements for special situations, circumstances, or emergencies. Therefore, installations may authorize other alternatives to facilitate installation access, such as for a graduation ceremony guest list, etc.”

Contact your local base with questions or for information about possible exceptions.